


Bird on a Bridge

by MaxBetta



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Suicide Attempt, sansan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 12:19:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13317960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxBetta/pseuds/MaxBetta





	Bird on a Bridge

It was cold, but no more so than any winter in Brooklyn. Still, Sandor was taken aback by the frigid, unforgiving breeze that assaulted his face the moment he stepped off the city bus. He wrapped his black wool scarf around his face a bit tighter. He reached into his jacket pocket for his gloves, but they were nowhere to be found.

 

_Must have left them on the bus._

 

He turned to make an attempt to retrieve them, but the bus was already gone.

 

_Just my luck. Doesn’t matter, anyway._

 

He rubbed his hands together furiously and started his trek to the center of the Brooklyn Bridge. There was a blanket of snow covering every surface, and the streetlights seemed to make it glow in the dark.

 

The snow crunched under his feet, leaving a trail of perfectly formed prints from his work boots behind him. He trudged along until he was at the middle of the bridge, and then stopped, taking a moment to look both ways. There were a few cars whizzing by, but no one on the walkway.

 

_Good._

 

He surveyed the thick metal wire barrier between himself and the side railing and found a damaged spot about ten feet away. He slowly crawled through the opening, being careful as to not draw any attention to himself. As his trembling hands gripped the ice coated railing, he looked down at the water below him.

 

_It’s almost over._

 

He warily placed one leg over the rail, putting the toe of his boot on the narrow ledge below. His other leg followed soon after. He stood there for a moment, head down.

 

_There's no other way._

 

He turned himself around so that he was now standing on the ledge with his two hands holding the icy rail behind him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath into his massive chest as a single hot tear trickled down his scarred cheek. He moved the tips of his toes closer to the edge and began to let go with his left hand.

 

“Stop!  Don’t do it!  Please, don’t do it!”

 

The voice startled him and he grabbed the rail with both hands again.

 

“Please.  Please!  I know you’re having a hard time, but this isn’t the answer!”

He squinted in the darkness to find a tall young woman walking toward him. She was wearing a brown puffy coat with a fur-lined hood that almost - almost - hid her light golden red hair. He could tell she was going to be a pain in the ass.

 

“You don’t know shit about me. Leave me the hell alone.”

 

“You’re right, I don’t know you personally.  But I know what it’s like to feel hopeless.  I can help!”

 

“Help? Stop chirping at me like some useless bird. Help yourself by getting inside somewhere, it’s freezing.”

 

“I’m not walking away unless you’re walking with me.  Come on, I’ll buy you a coffee, my treat. You shouldn’t be alone.”

 

He stood there a moment longer. Strangely, this mystery woman had made him curious. He wanted to know more about her, which in turn gave him something to live for, at least temporarily.

 

_Damn._

 

He swung his legs one at a time back over the rail, and once again made his way through the opening in the wire barrier. As he plodded toward her, he noticed she was smiling. It was a smile not of happiness, but of relief.  She noticed he wasn’t wearing any gloves, so she pulled out the extra scarf she kept in her purse and wrapped it around his hands, which were nearly blue.

 

“Ladies first” was all he could think of to say as he gestured with his arm toward the walkway. She took off briskly, looking back occasionally to make sure he was still following. As soon as they had made it off the bridge, she started looking for a coffee shop that was still open. They saw a glowing sign that said “Franklin Corner Cafe - Open 24 Hours” and made their way inside.

 

They sat in a booth, each removing their coats, and began to peruse the menu. She ordered a hot tea and a slice of lemon meringue pie. She told him to get whatever he wanted, but he insisted on a black coffee, nothing more. The waitress took their menus and disappeared back behind the counter.

 

“I’m not crazy.” He felt like it needed to be said.

 

She studied him, and chose her words carefully. “I don’t think you’re crazy.  I think you’re...overwhelmed.”

 

He nodded. She was surprisingly intuitive. She pulled her wallet out of her purse, removed a business card, and slid it to him across the table. He picked it up and read it to himself.  “Dr. Sansa Stark, PhD - Family Therapy and Counseling”

He wanted to throw it back at her.  He wanted to make her listen to a few more of his smartass remarks, insult her intelligence, make her feel like she was a fool.  He wanted to, but he didn’t.

 

The waitress returned with their drinks and Sansa’s pie.

Again, she decided it was best to tread carefully. “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it. I’m a total stranger, and you owe me absolutely nothing.  But...maybe if you talk about it, we can figure out some way to prevent it from happening again. Sometimes an outside perspective helps.”

 

He stared down into his coffee cup.  He could see the reflection of the fluorescent lighting on the liquid’s surface. “I’m alone. I have no family. I have no friends. I’m completely and utterly alone in this life, if you can even call it a life, and I just don’t want to do it anymore.  I’m tired.”

 

They each sipped their beverage, Sansa gave him an encouraging nod, and he continued.

 

“My parents are dead.  My brother is in jail on death row for multiple counts of rape and murder. My sister died when we were just kids.To top it all off, when I was doing a tour with the army overseas, I was riding in a hummer that was blown up, leaving me this pretty face that you’re blatantly staring at.”

 

“I’m not staring. I’m looking at you because you’re speaking to me. Some people do that. Would you prefer I stare into my cup?”

 

 _Shit, she got me._  “No, I guess not.” They remained quiet for a few moments until his curiosity got the best of him and he decided to break the silence. “Back there on the bridge, you said that you knew what it was like to feel hopeless.  What did you mean by that?”

 

Sansa nodded in acknowledgment, took another sip of her tea and a deep breath, and began. “When I was twelve, someone broke into our house and my father was murdered in front of me. When I was fourteen, I was in a physically abusive relationship that left me with new bruises every day. When I was sixteen, my mother and brother were shot in a carjacking. When I was a senior in high school, I was raped at a party while they made my best friend watch.” She stopped to look at him, his expression surprising her. His eyes were wide, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He looked angry. “I know what it’s like to feel as if life has done nothing but shit on you over and over.  I know what it’s like to be alone...and I know what it’s like to feel as if nobody cares.”

 

He swallowed a mouthful of coffee, waiting for her to continue.

 

“I spent a lot of years miserable and afraid.  I finally decided that I was sick of letting the events of my past affect my future.  I studied hard, went to Yale, and got my PhD. I did it all myself, I didn’t have anyone. And I can tell you now, I’m happy.  I have a career that I love, and knowing that there are people who need me makes it all the more satisfying.”

He looked at her suspiciously. “Don’t you ever get sick of listening to other people’s problems?”

 

She half smiled, “Don’t you ever get sick of telling yourself about your problems over and over again instead of making an effort to move past them?”

 

He smiled.  For the first time in months, maybe even years, he smiled.  He looked at the clock on the wall. 3AM.

 

“I have to go.  I have to be at work at 7. I’m in construction.”

 

She smiled back at him, picked up the check, and they both put on their coats and headed toward the door.  In a move that surprised him, she leaned in and gave him a brief hug.  Before she walked away, she gave him one last bit of advice.

 

“I gave you my business card.”

 

He nodded.

 

“Use it.”

 

And with that, they went their separate ways. He was determined to find something to look forward to in every day, something that excited him and made him glad to be alive. After getting on the bus, he sat down and immediately got out his cell phone and her business card. He left a message with her answering service to make an appointment as soon as possible. In that moment, the idea of seeing her again was the most exciting thing he could think of.


End file.
